399 Gurkha Trainees Complete Phase One training in Catterick

New Gurkhas ready to join their units

On the 14th November the passing out parade for 399 Gurkha Trainees from Gurkha Company Recruit Intake 2019 took place.

The event took place at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire. This event marks the end of a 39-week training cycle for the young soldiers on the Combat Infantryman’s Course.

They arrived in February 2019 as fresh young men from Nepal and are now trained soldiers and ready to join their units for their trade training so they can take up their rightful positions in the Brigade of Gurkhas.

The Inspecting Officer was Lieutenant General Richard Wardlaw OBE MSc BEng MInstRE, (Chief of Defence Logistics and Support and Colonel Commandant The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers). The parade was an impressive sight with the formed companies of Gurkhas spread across the entire parade square. Many family members and friends had made the long trip to Catterick including some from Nepal.

The young Gurkhas will now be assigned to various units within the British Army:

The Royal Gurkha Rifles

The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers

Queen’s Gurkha Signals

The Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment

The Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support

The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas

Prizes were awarded for:

Fittest Recruit

Most improved in English

Champion Shot

Overall Champion Recruit

Commandant’s Trophy – awarded to the Corporal and below considered to have made the greatest contribution to Gurkha Company throughout the year.

Role Model Trophy– Awarded to the Warrant Officer or Senior Non-Commissioned Officer considered to have been a role model, delivering the Army Leadership Code and Coaching throughout the year.

Champion Section Commander

Champion Platoon Commander

Gurkha Company

The mission is to deliver trained Gurkha soldiers in order to meet the operational requirements of the Brigade of Gurkhas. It is responsible for delivering the 39 weeklong combat Infantryman’s Course (Gurkha). All Gurkhas serving in the British Army are trained by the Gurkha Company to become infantrymen first. This provides the Brigade with an agile edge.

Until 1948 recruits for the Brigade of Gurkhas were trained in India. After Indian independence the training was centralized in North Malaya in 1951. In 1971 the training was moved to Hong Kong until 1994 when it moved to Church Crookham in the UK. In 1999 the Company was relocated to Catterick

Brigade of Gurkhas Growth Programme

The Brigade of Gurkhas is currently undergoing a growth programme to support the British Army.

A steady increase of Gurkha personnel will take place over the next few years to support newly formed Gurkha units in the Royal Gurkha Rifles, Queen’s Gurkha Engineers; Queen’s Gurkha Signals, Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment, the Gurkha Staff and Personnel Support and Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas.